Course Descriptions - Siena Heights - Fall 2017

Course DescriptionThis course will study the moral principles and norms of Catholic Tradition and will explore the relationship between Christian social ethics (especially bioethics, sexual ethics, and marriage and family) and Christian moral development, and how a believer manifests both as fundamental for participation in a faith community. This course will also examine the importance of the Magisterium and the centrality and formation of conscience. Resources include the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1691-2557.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONSince the 1983 Code of Canon Law is the fruit of Vatican II, the course will focus on how the Canons are designed to implement the Council’s teachings in a way that facilitates the mission of the Church. Special emphasis will be placed on the rights and responsibilities of clerics and laity, the sacramental life of the Church, an understanding of Church structures, and a realization of the similarities and differences between Canon Law and civil law.

Course Description Students will study the origin, nature, and mission of the Church. The course includes a general historical survey, but the major focus is on select documents of the Second Vatican Council, especially Lumen Gentium, as well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church, numbers 748-975. Some attention will be given to ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue and Unitatis Redintegratio, as well as the Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism (1993)

Course DescriptionThrough Exploration of the English text of the Old Testament, students will discover the cultural context of ancient faith communities, and how the sacred texts emerging from them have been interpreted theologically in both Jewish and Christian traditions. The course utilizes various methods of textual interpretation, including historical critical methods, and considers various theological models of revelation.